Derwenthorpe Partnership Advisory Committee (DPAC), and the Derwenthorpe Governing Group (DGG) will meet on Wednesday 22 July 2020, at 6pm, and 7:15pm respectively. Both are public meetings, and will be held on Zoom. Everyone is invited to attend (subject to Zoom’s 100 device limit).
Download these calendar files to add the meeting to your calendar. The Zoom link is in the calendar files, for your convenience. If you have trouble with these files, please email secretary@derwenthorpe.co.uk before Wednesday.
Given the 3rd Lockdown the craft group are planning a small scale collective textile project: “Lockdown at Derwenthorpe”. This is likely to be a smallish scale wall hanging.
Residents are invited to make a six inch square with words or image(s) that represent lockdown at Derwenthorpe to them, made with fabric sewn, hand stitched, knitted, appliquéd or stuck on to plain material. Some of the craft group will do appliqued letters, and those of us with quilting skills will put together the completed squares and letters into a hanging, with the direction of those artistically skilled in layout and colour combinations. Packs containing a background material square and a selection of material scraps, are available for those who haven’t suitable stuff in their stash.
If you would like to get involved in this project (please indicate if you would like either a pack of materials or guidelines) or to the join the Craft Group, please contact us by email via neigbours@derwenthorpe.co.uk.
We’ve got news about two new paths, and about maintenance of the public green space.
Guerrilla gardening
Many of you have started to adopt communal green spaces, planting and maintaining them. This is great, and JRHT gardening team are very happy to be supported, and also want to support us. But they need to know who’s doing what! So if you’re already doing so, or thinking of looking after a green space near you anytime in the future, please contact Wendy (see below). Also, if you’re considering planting anything that’s perhaps a bit unusual or may need a bit of space, our gardeners are keen to advise and make sure it’s suitable and fits in with everything else around it. So please get in touch any time by emailing Wendy at naturegroup@derwenthorpe.co.uk.
New Link Path
The new link path between Stephenson and Seebohm quarters is now in place. It connects the two sections of Derwent Way, from the Western end of St Aelred’s Way. The nature group has been happy to liaise with JRHT through the gardening team, about your safety concerns and their plans to address them. Two stainless steel bollards have already been installed, which will stop vehicle use and alert cyclists and pedestrians that they are crossing the Foss Islands cycle path, a main route.
The area either side has has been cleared, top soil put down, and will be grass seeded. The temporary barriers, whilst not looking very pretty, are to stop people walking, cycling and driving over it, until large boulders are placed in the appropriate places. JRHT are monitoring it, and assure us that they will add further measures if necessary. For more information on this or any other gardening or landscaping issues, contact Wendy at naturegroup@derwenthorpe.co.uk
Derwent Way Link Path
Path of desire
We’ve been working with the gardening team about a path of desire that has been made over the years, across the Foss Islands path from St Aelred’s Way on Seebohm to Derwent Mews on Stephenson quarter towards Metcalfe Lane end. This has now been established, and looks much better than the muddy mess it was! This is a bonus for us: the path above was always planned, but this one is in addition to the planned paths! For more information on this or any other landscaping or gardening issues, contact Wendy at naturegroup@derwenthorpe.co.uk
JRHT are running a couple of Zoom events for residents, in Derwenthorpe and elsewhere. Please do register, and join in to make it your conversation. We will be. Hope to see you there! Note that the two events will be similar, so there’s no need to attend both.
“We want to hear your stories from during the pandemic and the series of lockdowns. What or who has helped you and your community? What support would be helpful in the future? What were the good times which lifted your spirits? What was the act of kindness that made you feel better? During the pandemic, you may have discovered a new love for gardening or had a little more time to enjoy & explore your local area.We would like to hear from you about how you think JRHT has performed during the pandemic? Did we meet your expectations and what else can JRHT do in the future?”
Sadly one of our swans – the adult male – collided with a house earlier today. We called the RSPCA at about 10:20am, and they arrived to collect him at 11am. He’s been taken to a vet. I’ll try to get updates to see how he’s doing. The rest of the family are on the lake right now.
I don’t think anyone saw the collision, but it was heard, and he was found very quickly. He’d hit two storey terrace house, probably in the middle of the first storey, and fallen into the back garden. He was conscious when found, but very subdued, and could not stand. The RSPCA person could not give a prognosis, but found damage to a wing. She also could not find any obvious signs of serious damage, but there may be hidden damage.
update:
Sadly, as reported elsewhere (on Facebook), the swan passed away shortly after arriving at the vets.
From 1st December 2020 over 60 households are brightening Derwenthorpe (and beyond) with colourful, seasonal, stained ‘glass’ windows made of card and tissue paper. They will be displayed throughout December so there’s plenty of time to see them all!
Follow the Trail Map below and take a walk around to discover all their joyful creations!
We’ve still got some starter packs available so email neighbours@derwenthorpe.co.uk if you want to join in, however it’s too late now to be included in the trail map.
A star-studded extravaganza for Derwenthorpe’s young astronomers!
Once, on a planet close by, the people who lived in a place called Derwenthorpe, enjoyed three talks on astronomy and several star-gazing evenings. Since then the universe has grown, stars have been born and in March 2020, as part of the Great Covid-19 Lockdown, there was a surge of new interest in astronomy – especially by young people.
So, by popular request Derwenthorpe Residents’ Association -in celestial alignment with the York Astronomical Society- invites you to an evening of exciting astronomy specially aimed at young people and their families. Join us as we Zoom into space, accompanied by local expert astronomers and a chance to learn more about the stars above our own backyard.
The 40 minute programme will include:
‘Seeing Stars’ – stunning imagery by astronomers in York,
Practical star-gazing in Derwenthorpe – how, where, when,
How telescopes work – how to get started, cheaply,
‘The Sky at Night’ – Derwenthorpe-style,
The York Observatory – only minutes away at Murton
Looking to the future.
Ideal for all children between the ages of 6 and 103. An evening with the Stars will appear on a Zoom screen on a computer, smartphone or tablet at 7.00pm on Wednesday 25th November. Unlike the stars**, numbers are limited, so to obtain your free Zoom invitation contact David Friend now:
Another chance to play the fun family quiz with a difference!
Derwenthorpe’s Quiz Bingo
On Zoom this Friday, 13th November, 7:30 – 8:30pm.
Doors open at 7:15pm
20 players/teams limit
First come first served!
Note, this post is an update to the earlier post, in which we used the wrong Zoom link: the link is now https://zoom.us/j/92056252478 passcode: Passcode: 473156
Please accept my apologies for any confusion this change might cause.
